HS Code vs HTS Code: What Importers Need to Know

HS codes and HTS codes sound like two systems, but they share the same international foundation. This guide explains where they overlap, where they differ, and why the importing country decides which digits you ultimately use.

Reviewed by Onno C. P. Boots, publisher of UtilityPilot · Last reviewed: 4 September 2026

The shared six-digit foundation

The Harmonized System, maintained by the World Customs Organization, defines the first six digits of a product code. Those six digits are the same in every country that uses the HS — the great majority of trading nations. When someone says “HS code” without more detail, they usually mean this shared six-digit level.

Country-specific tariff extensions

Individual countries add further digits after the shared six to set their own duty rates and statistical categories. These national extensions are what make a full code specific to one country. The same product can share the first six digits worldwide while its seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth digits differ from one importing country to the next.

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Why HTS is associated with the US

“HTS” stands for Harmonized Tariff Schedule — the United States’ ten-digit national tariff, built on the international six-digit HS base. Because US importers work from the HTS every day, the term is closely tied to US classification. Other countries have their own equivalents with their own names, but the underlying HS foundation is shared.

HS vs HTS comparison table

Aspect	HS code	HTS code
Maintained by	World Customs Organization	US International Trade Commission
Typical length	6 digits (international base)	10 digits (US national)
Scope	Shared across most countries	Specific to US imports
First six digits	The shared foundation	Identical to the HS base
Sets the duty rate?	No, needs national extension	Yes, for US imports

Other names you will see

HS code — the international six-digit standard.
HTS code — the US ten-digit tariff schedule.
Commodity code — common term in the UK and EU for the national code.
Tariff code — a general label for whichever national code applies.

All of them build on the same six-digit HS root; the differences appear in the later digits.

Common mistakes

Assuming a full US HTS code works unchanged for an EU or UK import.
Using only six digits when the importing country requires the full national code.
Copying a supplier’s export code without mapping it to your destination.
Treating “commodity code” and “HTS code” as different systems rather than national names.

What UtilityPilot can help interpret

UtilityPilot helps you find a likely six-digit starting point from a product description and points you toward the importing country’s extension. From there you can move on to a tariff estimate or read how to calculate import duty.

What you must verify

The full national code and its duty rate must be confirmed with the official tariff authority for your importing country. UtilityPilot does not issue binding classifications or supply live official rates.

Official sources

UtilityPilot summarises these authorities in its own words. Always verify duty rates and classifications directly with the relevant authority before filing a customs entry.

World Customs Organization — The Harmonized System nomenclature that the first six digits of every code share worldwide. (International)

USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule — The official US HTS: full national tariff lines and general duty rates. (United States)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Entry procedures, valuation, additional duties and rulings guidance. (United States)

UK Trade Tariff — UK commodity codes, duty rates, VAT and preferential rates. (United Kingdom)

Source registry last updated: 4 September 2026